Daughters of Sons
by Ambrosia Rush
Summary: Who your father is matters greatly and when he's a member of SOA it can affect every aspect of your life. **Can be read at any point during the series/ can be read separate from series.** Kerrianne/ Dawn/ Fawn/ Ellie/ Trinity/ Indiana (OC)/ Brooklyn (OC)
1. Fawn- One

**AN: This is a series of one-shots. While they will be chronological by character, they might not be chronological all together (All stories tagged 'Fawn' will be in order, but the order might not be chronological between Fawn and Kerrianne for example.) I really wanted to explore these daughters and how the club life/ their fathers affect them, so TADA! Also, for those who read the rest of my SOA stories (Years Gone By/ Equilibrium) this does go with it and so there will be some OC daughters as well as familiar faces.**

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Age seven is naïve enough to have hope but old enough to know better.

"Your daddy is coming to visit." The simple proclamation from their mother caused a burst of excitement in the two young sisters. "Go get dressed."

The two girls ran giggling down the hall and into the room they shared. Being older and taller, Fawn had the top two drawers while her three year old sister Dawn had the bottom two. Fawn grabbed a t-shirt, pink underpants and blue jeans. She looked down to spot her sister pulling out everything. "Dawn! Stop. I'll help, just wait."

"Dress!" Dawn picked up the white dress with multi-coloured polka-dots.

"Okay, just wait!" Fawn changed out of her black nightgown, a repurposed t-shirt of her mother's, and into the clothes she'd picked out. She then helped pull the little green nightgown that had once been hers over her sister's head. The responsibility of her younger sister had been hers for as long as she could remember. She got Dawn dressed and lead her to the bed. "Sit down and I'll do your hair."

"Okay." Dawn fought to get up onto the bed and Fawn pushed her sister up. "T-ank you."

Fawn nodded and opened the drawer on the nightstand that sat between their beds. Inside she found a hairbrush, a comb, a handful of hair elastics and a couple of headbands. She grabbed the brush and climbed up on the bed and dutifully combed out the knots in her sister's hair.

"Daddy here?"

"Not yet," Fawn responded struggling to get a knot out without hurting Dawn. Fawn's lips pressed tightly together. She missed her dad, their trips to the park and to the little ice cream parlour down the street. His visits were few and far between. Sometimes he said he was coming but never showed up.

Fawn sighed as she watched her little sister. Dawn had her nose pressed to the glass of the bay window in the front, watching and waiting for their father to arrive. A rumble of a motorcycle had Dawn bouncing on her toes and Fawn to the window to look out alongside her sister. The motorcycle was blue and drove right by. "It's not Dad," Fawn said, deflating a bit. "Come on, time for lunch."

"Where mommy?"

"She's getting ready for Daddy," Fawn replied patiently as she led her sister to the kitchen. "Sandwich?"

"Crackers!"

Fawn shrugged and opened the cabinet, she stood on her tip-toes and grabbed a sleeve of vegetable crackers. She grabbed a couple of juice boxes from the fridge and they sat at the table together eating, both listening for the sound of a motorcycle.

"Dawn! Be quiet!" Their mother shouted.

Fawn saw her little sister's bottom lip begin to quiver and knew tears were next. Their mother was not tolerant to tears. "Come on, Dawny. Let's colour a picture for Dad."

Dark brown eyes lit up and Dawn nodded. "Okay!"

Crayons and colouring books ended up scattered on the floor of their room. Fawn worked on a picture of a cat while her sister scribbled colours in and around a turtle.

Fawn's eyes shifted to a picture on their shared nightstand. A picture sat framed of her father with a newborn Dawn and a young Fawn up on his knee. Both she and her father were staring down at the little bundle in his arms. She yearned for her father. She wanted to be tucked in at night and a kiss to her forehead. She wanted ice cream before dinner. She wanted the deep voice reading stories, complete with different voices for all the characters. She wanted her mom to smile again. She wanted the house to feel good for a change.

"Fawn! Look!" Dawn held up the colouring book to show off the turtle. Pink, blue and yellow predominately made up the squiggling marks that counted as Dawn's attempts at colouring.

"Good job."

With a smug smile, Dawn looked over at the cat that her big sister coloured. "Pretty kitty."

"Thanks."

Dawn pushed her dark curls back from her face and turned toward the door. "Daddy here?"

Straight hair swung as Fawn shook her head. "No, not yet."

The girls sat on their knees and plucked weeds from the garden. Or that had been Fawn's desire. Her sister didn't understand weeding and instead plucked flowers. "Dawn, no. We need to pluck the weeds. The clovers and the grass," Fawn pointed the weeds out. "You can pick the dandelions, okay?"

Dawn frowned. "No. Like these," she announced pointing to the little bouquet of blooms.

"Those are Mom's flowers," Fawn argued, her head tilting up slightly with superiority. "We can't pick Mom's flowers."

"Did."

Fawn blew her bangs from her eyes. "Shouldn't."

Dawn sat, holding the little bouquet, and leaned against her sister. "Sleepy."

"Come on, you can nap."

"Daddy?"

"I'll wake you up."

"Promise?" Dawn beseeched.

Before Fawn could reply the back door opened and both girls jumped. Fawn quickly ripped the flowers from her sister's hand. Her dark eyes turned to where their mother stood. Dark clothing, dark hair, angry face. "Fawn Trager! Are you picking my flowers?"

"I thought we could just-" her false excuse died on her tongue as her mother stormed over and grabbed her but he upper arm and hauled her up.

"Dawn," their mother had the voice of pure authority. "In the house." The little girl pouted but walked toward the door, her dress, now dirty, blowing in the breeze. Fawn felt small when her mother's green eyes turned on her. "What have I told you?"

"I'm sorry, I just though-"

"Stop!" The already bruising grip tightened and Fawn's eyes welled with tears. "Weed the garden- that is your chore. Do not touch the flowers. I thought even such a child as stupid as you would understand those instructions!"

"I'm sorry, Mom."

Her mother scoffed. "Get in the house. And wash your hands!"

The second the firm hand released, Fawn ran to the house. Dawn stood waiting with big eyes, too young to understand. "Hurt?" she asked pointing at the big red mark on Fawn's arm.

"I'm okay," Fawn insisted. She gave her sister a hug to reassure her, but really she just wanted someone to comfort her, someone to hold onto. "We need to wash our hands. Come with me, Dawn."

The sun setting lit the sky up with beautiful shades of yellow, pink, purple and blue. Dinner had been eaten in silence. A movie had been thrown into the VHS player to keep the two girls entertained. Fawn didn't pay much attention to the movie, but she watched the sunset and then the blanket of stars take over the sky.

The phone rang and before her mother answered, Fawn knew. Disappointment sat heavily in her chest and she fought the urge to cry. Their mother's voice became angry but it went low. The phone got slammed down and Fawn glued her eyes to the television.

"Daddy?" Dawn asked innocently.

"He's not coming," their mother said as she stormed through the room, disappeared down the hall and a door slammed a second later.

Dawn sniffled a bit and looked to the window, ever hopeful it was some kind of mistake.

Fawn, however, curled up on the couch and hugged one of the pillows to her chest. At age seven, Fawn Trager was naïve enough to have hoped yet old enough to know better.

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**Thanks for reading, lemme know what you think ;)**


	2. Kerrianne- One

The three and a half year old Kerrianne waved to her mother as she walked off down the hall. Her father sighed and looked around miserably. Little Kerrianne, however, looked around with wonderment. Lights focussed on vibrant displays and she could hear the merry jingle of bells and Christmas carols playing. "Da?" Kerrianne pulled on her father's hand which she held for dear life. Her parents had instilled in her a fear of getting lost. "Santa here?"

"I don't know, Sweetheart. It's a little late, he might have gone home," Filip responded.

She walked alongside her father, her hand secure in his. Her other hand gripped the arm of her teddy bear that she never went anywhere without. The poor thing dragged along the floor, dirt matted its fur, and one of its eyes had gone missing after a trip through the wash that really didn't do much. On separate occasions both Filip and Fiona had tried to get her to part with it. They promised a new one, a better one but she stubbornly refused.

"How many days, Da?" Kerrianne asked. Her eyes locked on to the sparkly jewelry display.

"Fifteen."

The little girl sighed. "So many!"

"It's not many at all," Filip insisted as he led her through the jewelry store. "They will fly by."

"No they won't," Kerrianne whined. She dropped her teddy and immediately swooped down to grab him.

"Do you need me to carry him?"

"No." She shot him a distrusting look that made her father laugh. She thought her parents were trying to do away with Teddy. She adjusted her grip to hug him to her chest as they continued through the mall.

Her Da stopped to look at something but Kerrianne was too short to see into the case. Huffing out an annoyed breath she turned away and looked at the many people carrying shopping bags and coffee cups. Bored, she tugged on her father's hand. "Da!"

He swooped down and picked her up. She giggled and hugged Teddy between them. "Yes, dear?"

"Can we go to the toy store?"

Naturally, he wanted to get her a really wonderful Christmas gift. And naturally, as a full grown man, he had no idea what kind of toys little girls wanted. He nodded, she'd point him in the right direction and surely give him an entire list of ideas. "Sure, but we can't get anything today, okay. No gifts before Christmas, you don't want to mess up Santa's list, do you?" he asked tipping his head forward as his eyebrows shot up in question.

She smiled and shook her head. "Nope, I'm on the nice list."

"Of course you are," he said proudly. "Come on, let's go see some toys, yeah?" She beamed up at him and nodded enthusiastically, her curls bobbing with the movement.

He should have known better. Kerrianne dragged him around the toy store pointing out numerous toys from board games (she surely wouldn't know how to play but apparently the box looked fun), to plush unicorns, to dolls, to paint sets. She stopped in front of an Easy Bake Oven and stared. Filip felt dread fill his system. He cursed under his breath. "Come on, Kerrianne."

"Da," the voice started low but he could see a fight brewing. She had her mother's stubbornness and, unfortunately, his temper which created the perfect storm.

"Kerrianne, we agreed."

"Da! Please, I want it!"

"No, Kerri."

"Da! Please!"

"No," Filip remained firm even as her dark eyes welled with tears.

"Please, Da! I wanna make the cake!"

"Kerrianne, no!"

She took a deep breath, a prelude to the screaming and crying that came next. She yelled and kicked out and waved her arms. Poor Teddy swung around violently and then flew through the air. Kerrianne stopped as she stared at Teddy who'd hit a display case and fallen to the floor. She then looked to her hand where his arm remained along with cotton stuffing poking out. With a look of horror she turned back to her father. Now, she cried for an entirely different reason. With great sobs of grief, she held out her arms in desperate need for the love and comfort of her father.

"Oh, Kerri."

"Da, Teddy." She sobbed as she was embraced and picked up by her father's strong arms. "Teddy's dead. I killed Teddy."

"No, no, darling," he soothed. "Teddy is fine."

"Is not," she sobbed holding the arm in front of his face as evidence. "I broke him!"

"Well," he crouched down, still holding his girl, and inspected the damage. He could offer to buy a new teddy bear, he could insist that this one was beyond repair. She cried, inconsolable in his arms thinking she'd 'killed' her bear. He couldn't have his three and a half year old feeling guilty about something she obviously cared so deeply for. "I'll fix him, okay?"

"Kerri?" Fiona had come to the shop in search of gifts but upon hearing her daughter's cries she'd rushed over. "What's wrong?"

"Teddy broke his arm," Filip explained. He stood, keeping Kerrianne balanced on his hip, Teddy in his free hand. "This will require some surgery."

"Aye, seems it will," Fiona replied seriously. She ran a comforting hand over her daughter's hair. "Don't you worry one bit, Kerri. Your da was a medic once."

"Medic?"

"Like a doctor," Fiona explained and Filip struggled not to laugh. Medic for five months before being court-martialled wasn't at all 'like a doctor,' in Filip's opinion.

Their daughter nodded quite seriously. "Please Daddy, help Teddy. I wish for him for Christmas. Santa can forget my wish list. I just want Teddy."

His daughter looked so heartbreakingly serious that he sighed and held her tight. "Teddy will be fine," he promised.

Kerrianne stared at Teddy and his amputated arm laid out on the table. She fought the urge to cry. Her Da came over with his glasses, a needle and thread. She trusted him in a way only a daughter can with a father she worships. No need for tears when Da insisted it would be alright.

She watched as he snapped the thread, tried to get it through the eye of the needle but put both down so he could get his glasses on. He tried again, able to see better now, he succeeded. Kerrianne leaned forward as her father started to sew Teddy back together again. She covered her eyes with her hands and then peeked through her fingers. Poor Teddy! She sniffled a bit and rubbed tears from her eyes. It didn't take too long before her Da finished.

Her Da checked the work out and gave the arm a little tug. Finding it secure he nodded. "There, all done."

She reached out and gripped the familiar matted fur. She brought Teddy close and nuzzled. "I'm so sorry, Teddy. I'll take better care of you from now on, I promise!" She caught her father looking on with a small smile on his face. She smiled back, although tears still clung to her lashes. "Thanks, Da. I love you."

He kissed the center of her forehead. "I love you more."

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**Thanks for reading :)**


	3. Brooklyn- One

The footsteps in the hallway didn't bother Brooklyn. She waited patiently in bed until she heard the door down the hall close. She heard her mother's laugh and hushed voices. With a smile, she kicked down her blankets and got out of bed. She carefully made her way across the room and heard her mother gasp and then more hushed voices followed by a rhythmic _'thump, thump, thump_.' Once, she'd been startled by the sounds of her Mom and one of her friends playing and went in to see. She didn't like the look of the game and she'd gotten into big trouble. Now, she knew as long as she heard _the 'thump, thump, thump,'_ she could stay up late and maybe finally get those knots out of her Barbie's hair.

She turned on the light and waited a second, half expecting to get caught. She grabbed her favourite Barbie and sat down close to the light switch. "Time to fix your hair. Mom says it looks awful." Brooklyn gave her doll a close inspection. "It is kind of a mess," she conceded at last. "But I can fix it, don't worry." She hummed as she meticulously worked her way through the knots.

Her stomach rumbled, distracting her from her task. Her mommy's playdate had just started so she left her Barbie and tip-toed all the way to the kitchen. "Cookies," she whispered to herself with a big smile. She grabbed two from the pack and closed it up.

Three loud knocks didn't come from the same direction of her mother's room and Brooklyn froze. Her heart beat rapidly in panic and she hurried to hide under the kitchen table. Four loud knocks and Brooklyn held the cookies so tight they started to crumble.

"Helena!" A man bellowed from outside. Brooklyn cowered under the table, thankful for the tablecloth that partially hid her from view. "Helena!"

"He isn't just going to go away!" Her mother's voice came down the hall. "So put your pants on!"

"Open the fucking door!" The man outside shouted.

She watched her mother in a slinky black nightgown walk past. Brooklyn held her breath until she heard the hinges on the front door screech.

"Where is she?" The man demanded as he stepped in. Brooklyn swallowed hard. The man was a giant with long hair, a big beard and his face was red with anger.

"Quiet down! It's nearly ten!" Her mother snarled. "You can't be here, Rane."

The man paced and Brooklyn got her first look at the reaper. Fear struck her in the heart and she dropped the cookies in favour of wrapping her arms around her knees as she tried to make herself as small as possible. Her mother's friend walked out and looked nervous. The big man didn't say anything, he just grabbed the other man, shoved him outside and slammed the door.

"You can't be here and you certainly can't be throwing out my guest!" her mother said with her hands on her hips.

The big, scary man towered over her mother. "She is my daughter!"

Brooklyn didn't understand that what had just been proclaimed was in reference to her. All she heard was the loud and frightening voice of the man. Her lower lip quivered and she put her hand over her mouth to muffle her cry.

The arguing stopped and a second later her mother lifted up the table cloth and looked right at her. "Christ. Now you've done it, Rane! You've scared her. Good job." Her mother reached out a hand. "Come here baby." Brooklyn hurried out from under the table and jumped into her mother's awaiting arms. "Don't worry, Sweetheart." Her mother's hand ran soothingly over Brooklyn's head. "Everything is okay." Tears blurred her vision and she held onto her mother tightly.

"Just let me see her," Rane insisted and her mother's arms tightened around her tiny body. She felt safe there, held by the only parent she'd ever known. "She's my daughter, Helena!"

"I got full custody when you went to prison." Her mother's eyes cut sharply to Rane. "Now get the hell out of my house!"

Brooklyn held tightly to her mother but turned to look at the strange man once again. Clearly, he was not leaving. He gave her a nervous smile. "Hey Sweetie," he said roughly. "I'm your dad." Brooklyn stared with wide eyes. She'd gone her entire life without a father. Her mother refused to tell her anything about him when asked.

"Unbelievable," her mother whispered and set Brooklyn down before storming off.

"Mom!" Brooklyn cried out in a panic. She didn't want to be left with the stranger! The fear left her trembling as tears streaked down her chubby cheeks. "Mommy!"

Rane crouched down but made no move to touch the obviously frightened girl. "Brooklyn, it's okay. I wouldn't ever hurt ya."

Brooklyn looked at the hall her mother disappeared down and back to the man who said he was her dad. She stood, frozen and afraid. She took a timid step away from the man and heard him sigh. She'd always wanted a daddy but never thought hers would be so big and scary. She sniffled and ran the back of her hand under her nose.

His eyes cut to the table. "Why were you hiding?"

She made a circle with her toe on the ground as she avoided eye contact. "I was getting cookies."

He smiled. "You want cookies?" Her dark eyes turned to him and she nodded her head, just once. "Do you know where they are?" He asked. Once again, she nodded and pointed to the cupboard. He stood and she stumbled back at his terrifying height. He left boot prints on the floor as he grabbed the bag of cookies and opened it. He sat down on the kitchen floor and put the cookies out in front of him like a peace offering.

She took one step toward him, and then another. "So you're my dad?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"Where were you?" she asked quietly and looked ready to bolt at any second.

"I did something bad and I got in trouble."

"Time-out?" Brooklyn asked, her nose wrinkling up.

He grinned. "Yeah, I got put in time-out."

She nodded and plopped her butt down on the floor across from him and grabbed a cookie. "I didn't think big people could be put in time-out."

"Only when we're very naughty."

"I got put in time-out for drawing on the walls," she whispered conspiratorially. "What did you do?"

He froze, wondering how to explain such a thing to a child. In that moment he realized that being a father wasn't going to be as easy as he'd once assumed.

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Thanks for reading :)


	4. Trinity- One

Trinity frowned as the woman pinched her cheeks. "What a darling wee lass you have, Maureen."

"Aye. Your total is six fifty," Maureen replied.

The moment the woman released her, six year old Trinity Ashby scurried behind the counter and grabbed her doll. She hugged it close to her chest and shot the woman a glare. She liked some customers, a few bought her little candies but she hated the ones who pinched her cheeks or ruffled her hair. "I don't like her," she admitted the second the bell jingled above the door.

"She's a good customer," her ma replied. "That's what matters here."

Poking her head out from around the counter she looked around for anymore cheek-pinching customers but at three in the afternoon, the shop was empty. "Can I have a candy, Ma?"

"No, you had one only ten minutes ago. You're going to rot all your teeth right outta your head, is that what you want?"

With a horror stricken face, Trinity shook her head, her straight blonde hair swinging out with the movement. The bell above the door made her jump and she turned to assess the newest customer. She dropped her doll and a big smile came upon her face. "Uncle K!"

Father Kellan Ashby crouched to catch the running girl. "Ah, my best lass. How are you today, Trinity?"

She gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Good! I didn't know you were coming to visit!"

"Sadly, I just need to pick up a few things and must be on my way, wee one."

He put her back down on her feet and noticed her pout. "How about I get you a candy?"

"Ma says if I have any more my teeth will fall out," she muttered miserably.

Maureen chuckled as she walked around the counter. "Brother, good to see you well."

"You too, Mo," he replied and gave his sister a brief hug. "Looking for these," he said passing her a list. "Help me along?"

"This shop hasn't changed since it opened, long before either of us worked in it and yet you still can never find a damn thing."

He shrugged and she shook her head before walking off with the list. He returned his attention to his niece. "Is that a new doll?"

"Yeah," Trinity replied as she went to retrieve it. "Ma got her for me for my birthday. I named her Saoirse."

"Well, that is a beautiful name," Kellan replied. "Very patriotic. Do you know what that name means?" Trinity shook her head and looked up curiously at her uncle. "It means freedom."

"Ma says that my Da fought for freedom," Trinity said catching her uncle off guard.

"Did she, now?"

"Aye. I asked about my Da last night," Trinity said. The burning curiosity had become impossible to ignore. "Did you know my Da, Uncle K?"

Kellan looked around for his sister but he didn't see her. "No, I didn't."

"Ma got sad when she talked about him. Is she sad because he's dead?"

Kellan closed his eyes and went over a brief prayer for strength. "Well, it does make people very sad to lose someone they love."

"Did my Da go to heaven, Uncle K?"

He ran his hand gently over her fine hair. "I'm sure he did, sweet lass."

"Alright, brother," Maureen called from the till. "I got your stuff."

"Ma, you don't have to be sad," Trinity said holding Saoirse in her arms. "Uncle K said that Da went to heaven." Maureen stared stricken at her daughter and then turned her glossy eyes on Kellan. She swallowed hard and continued ringing through the items. "Ma, why do you still look sad? He's in heaven so he is happy and safe and with God."

"Well, when someone goes to heaven, those of us still here miss that person. It can make you feel sad," Kellan told his niece to spare his sister. "Even though you can't remember your Da, you still ask about him, in your own way, you miss him too."

"Yeah," she admitted softly. "I wish I had a Da. Fiona and Filip visited last night and they have a little girl and Filip looks like he loves her a whole bunch. He even played with her bear with her and made funny faces. I wish I had a Da like that."

Kellan crouched down in front of Trinity. "It is sad that your Da is gone but don't you think you're very lucky to have such a good Ma?"

Trinity nodded immediately. "Ma tucks me in at night and plays with me and never makes me eat cabbage."

Kellan chuckled and glanced over at his sister. "I think your Ma might need a hug."

The young girl looked over at her saddened mother. She dropped her doll and rushed over to wrap her arms around her mother. "Don't cry, Ma. I love you."

Arms tightened around in response. "Oh, I love you too, sweet lass."

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**Thanks for reading :)**


	5. Ellie- One

**A super-short one. More of an experiment with style than anything.**

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Leather and gasoline. She loves the scent of both. Sometimes, the scent of smoke is also added to the potent mix.

Coarse and smooth. She loves the feel of both. The scratchy feel of his jaw but there the skin of his cheek is so soft.

Rugged and handsome. She loves the look of both. There is security in his strength and a kindness in his eyes and smile.

Gruff and powerful. She loves to hear the combination. Excitement builds inside of her when the door opens and that voice follows.

"Donna, I'm home."

"Dad!" As always, three year old Ellie runs into the awaiting arms of her father who lifts her up.

"Hi Ellie."

She can smell the leather and gasoline. She nuzzles against his cheek and feels both the coarse facial hairs and smooth skin. She leans back and takes his cheeks in his hands and admires the smile on her father's face before she wraps her arms back around his neck and enjoys the security of being held in his arms.


	6. Dawn- One

**A big thanks to those reading/reviewing/adding this story to their alerts. I really appreciate the support :)**

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Six year old Dawn Trager wore her favourite dress, the purple one, a hand-me-down from her older sister and her light up sneakers. It was a special day after all, one of the few where she got to see her father. He had taken her and Fawn to a local diner for lunch and Dawn bounced on her toes in excitement. Behind the counter stood a middle-aged woman with frizzy hair and a dirty apron who waited for them to make a decision. A fan in the corner blew the scent of fried chicken around and it made her stomach rumble. Dawn turned to the sister she worshipped. Fawn didn't look quite as happy, in fact, Fawn looked kind of sad. Reaching out, Dawn took her sister's hand.

Fawn squeezed and sent her little sister a smile. "Do you know what you want?"

Dawn nodded, her dark curls bouncing with the movement. "Ice cream."

A look of dread passed over Fawn's face and she pulled Dawn close. "You know that isn't allowed," she reminded in a hushed voice.

"Ice cream sounds great," Tig said with an easy laugh.

Fawn looked confused. Dawn laughed and she abandoned the comfort of her sister for the moment wanting to be closer to her father. It was so rare that he came around, but he'd surprised them and pulled them out of school to spend the day with him. Their dad was the coolest. He didn't have the same rules as their mom, or even the same rules that Fawn had. "Get ice cream, Fawn!" Dawn enticed. "They have chocolate! You like chocolate!"

Fawn timidly turned to their father. "Can I get fries?"

He smiled and affectionately ruffled her straight hair which she quickly sorted back to rights. "Get whatever you want, Sweetie."

Dawn took the offer to heart. She got the banana split; three scoops of ice cream, two bananas, peanuts, chocolate sauce, and strawberries on top. She felt on top of the world. Her daddy helped to eat her ice cream lunch and she turned to her sister and offered her spoon. "Have some!"

Fawn pushed around the last couple of fries and shook her head. "We should be in class."

"Hey, things like this don't happen every day," Tig argued. Sure, he hadn't asked their mother, showed up unannounced and pulled his daughters out of class, but he didn't do it every day. Besides, they were in what? First and third grade? How old were they anyway? He studied his youngest, five maybe six he decided, she took after him; dark eyes, like their mother, but the curls came from the Trager line. He turned to his eldest, she looked about seven. That couldn't be right unless he guessed Dawn's age wrong. Or maybe he had how many years were between them wrong. In any case, Fawn was the image of her mother and had the nerves of kicked puppy. Maybe he would have worried more if Dawn acted the same but she seemed perfectly well adjusted.

"Mom's going to be angry," Fawn muttered.

"Mom's always angry," Dawn complained. Her stomach ached but the Sundae was so good she kept eating.

Tig shifted in his seat before scooping up another spoonful of ice cream, after all the kid couldn't possibly eat it all. "What does your mom do when she's angry?"

"Yells and stuff," Dawn said with a careless shrug only to get a light kick from her sister across the table. She looked to Fawn to see the warning glare.

"Is that so?" Tig studied his youngest, but she didn't seem concerned.

"We should go back to school," Fawn insisted.

"I don't want to go back to school!" Dawn protested loudly. She didn't want the day with their dad to end so quickly, besides, she had math and she didn't like it one bit.

"Well, where do you want to go?" Tig asked.

Dawn beamed up at him. "The park!"

"Then we will go to the park!"

Dawn smiled. _Best. Day. Ever._

::

Dawn took off in a mad run to the play set. It was tall and long; built of wood, nail and chain- all of which could leave you with injury if you fell in the wrong place. There was a rickety bridge, a ladder, two fireman's poles, a look out, a steering wheel and two metal slides. You were pretty much guaranteed to leave with a burnt butt and splinters but to Dawn Trager it was the most magical place on Earth.

She giggled and swung around the fireman's pole and her father followed in suit. She laughed and jumped up and down. Their mother never played with them like this. The few times she got to go to the park was when Fawn took her and it was a very long walk that left her tired by the time they got there. "Come on, Daddy, let's go on the slide!"

He laughed but followed her to the ladder. "Come on, Fawn," Tig enticed.

The girl's willpower waned and she joined her father and sister for an afternoon of play.

::

"I hardly even see them!" Tig roared. The tension in the living room became oppressive as the two former lovers went to war with one another.

Fawn put her arm over her sister's shoulder defensively. "Come on, let's go to our room."

Dawn didn't want to. Her parents were arguing. They always argued when they got together. Her lower lip trebled. They didn't love each other anymore.

"They need to be in school, Alex!" their mother shouted in return, poking their father hard in the chest. "I don't work my ass off all day for these two only to find out they haven't even been in school!"

"I pay for them," he snapped.

"What you occasionally send doesn't even cover their fucking school clothes! Do you have any idea how expensive children are?" She threw her hands up in the air and let out a bitter laugh. "Of course not! You're never fucking here!"

"Dawn," Fawn insisted pulling on her sister. "Room. Now."

"No," Dawn whispered fearfully. "They're arguing. Daddy will go away again and we won't-" a sob got caught in her throat. She got pulled into her sister's embrace and let herself be led to their shared room. For comfort, she huddled in bed with her sister and sniffled. She hoped that maybe this time her parents would work things out. Maybe this time, Daddy would stay.

A slammed door and the roar of the big truck their father had driven them around in announced his departure. Dawn felt as if a hole had been created in her chest. Her daddy was gone and she had no idea when she would see him next. She wanted more comfort, needed it but their mother yelled for them.

"Stay here," Fawn told her with dry eyes. She pulled the blanket up over her little sister. "I'll be back in a minute."

"No," Dawn protested weakly.

"Just stay here, Dawn." Fawn kissed Dawn's temple. "Just stay here."

Dawn covered her ears when she heard her mother yelling again and cried herself to sleep in her sister's bed.


	7. Indiana-One

**I have missed writing young Indie :)**

::

As the sun dipped low on the horizon of Red Willow, it painted the sky and the clouds in hues of orange, pink and blue. A gentle breeze played with the wind chimes that hung from the red-brick bungalow, creating a natural melody. All seemed peaceful but inside that house, a battle of wills commenced.

Indiana's hands balled up into fists as she stared up at her father. "But Daddy! I don't want you to go!" She stomped her foot in a physical display of her temper. She hated it when he went left.

"I know, but I have to," Quinn replied as he tied his left boot.

She watched as he stood and grabbed his wallet off the dining table. "Daddy," she whined. "Can I come with you?"

"No, you can't. I might be gone a few days." He sighed and crouched down before his little girl. Hard to believe that she was only a few weeks away from being four years old. "I need you to be good for Tink and Martha."

Her stubborn jaw jutted out and her hands planted on her hips. "A few days!" For a child who thought 'five minutes' was _forever,_ days sounded like an eternity. "No," she held the word on a long wail. "You can't!"

"Indiana. Stop whining," he scolded. While she held his heart in her tiny hands, he wouldn't tolerate spoiled behaviour.

Fear came over the child in a wave of panic. The stubborn jut became a pout. A few blinks later tears welled in her eyes and her lower lip trembled. She rushed into his crouched form, wrapped her arms around his neck and openly sobbed. "No, Daddy! Don't go, I don't want you to go!"

He let out a long sigh, held his daughter close and picked her up as he stood. "Shh, it's going to be okay." He ran his hand over her short blonde hair, wisps that curled and stuck out in random directions completely ignorant to the laws of gravity. "It's only a couple of days."

The statement made her cry harder and she sucked in a breath. "That's forever! Why are you going away? Did I do something bad?"

"Oh, no. No, you didn't do anything." The fact that the thought even crossed her mind made his heart shatter. "You didn't do anything," he repeated. "But I have to go, okay? I have to take care of business."

She sniffled. "No," she remained petulant.

"Indie. I need you to be good while I'm gone," he told her sternly. "You clean up your toys, you eat your veggies and you don't kick up a fuss at bedtime. That's your business and I need you to take care of it. You're almost four. You're not a baby, right?"

"No, not a baby," she sulked.

"Good." He kissed her temple before he set her back down on her feet. "Love you, Little Anarchist."

She crossed her arms over her chest and averted her gaze to the wall. "Love you, too," she muttered back. He almost laughed, his kid sure could hold a grudge.

"Don't worry, Rane," Tink said as she leaned against the counter. "She's in good hands."

He flashed her a grin. "I know."

"Go!" Indiana glared at him and pointed at the door. "Go take care of business so you can come home fast."

"Alright, alright!" He put his hands up in surrender. "I'm going."

Not wanting to watch him leave, Indiana sulked off to the living room and distracted herself with sorting through her collection of Disney movies. The sound of the door shutting made her lip quiver. She sniffled and picked out _The AristoCats _one of her favourites_._ Tink's hand ran through her hair in a poor attempt to tame the unruly locks. She lifted the movie. "This one, please."

"Alright, Sweetie." Tink took the movie and opened the plastic VHS case. "Get on the couch. I'll get us some popcorn; how does that sound?"

"'Kay," the miserable child shrugged. She turned to watch Tink leave and then blew out an annoyed breath. Her eyes returned to the movies on the floor. "Take care of business," she muttered before she shoved them back on the shelf.


	8. Kerrianne- Two

Kerrianne sat proper in the shopping cart. When she'd been younger she'd merrily swung her legs and nearly put her father down for the count. Now, she had to sit nicely or he wouldn't take her to the market at all. She hugged Teddy close as they went down the frozen food section, her father occasionally stopping to throw an item or two into the cart.

She enjoyed the produce section and demanded peaches, a request her father honoured. However, he ignored her plea to leave the brussels sprouts behind.

A small sigh escaped as they headed into the bakery section. Fresh baked bread, decorative cakes, various muffins and pies. She wiggled in her seat as she tried to get a look at it all. "Muffins, Daddy?"

"What kind?" he asked as he stopped the cart. "Blueberry, Banana, Allspice Crumble, Oatmeal, or Zucchini."

"All of them," she replied innocently as she hugged Teddy closer.

He raised an eyebrow. "All of them?"

A small smile formed upon her face and grew. "Teddy wants to try them all."

"Oh, so it's all for Teddy, huh?" She grabbed the bears head and made it nod. He bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "Well, unfortunately, we can only get one."

Kerrianne sighed and weighted her options. "Blueberry."

"Good choice," he replied grabbing the box. "I think Teddy will approve."

By the time they got to the deli, she had bored of the trip and wriggled in her seat. "Da. I want down."

"We're almost done," he told her before he thanked the clerk and tossed in the lunch meat.

"Da!" she whined and wiggled again. "Down!"

"Fine," he replied, lifting her out. "But you stay close and don't touch anything."

"'Kay."

She walked a few steps behind her Da and stopped when he stopped. They filled the cart with milk and juice and butter.

"Ah, Hello, Filip."

She stepped closer to her father when he stopped. Grabbing his pant leg, she hid partially behind him, keeping Teddy tucked nicely under her arm.

"Jimmy," Filip replied with the ease of familiarity. "How are you?"

"Not bad," Jimmy smiled. "See you got the wee lass with you today." He bent slightly and waved at her. "Hello, Kerrianne."

Panic washed over her and she tucked herself further behind her father. "She's shy," Filip said with a bit of embarrassment. "Better get on with it before Fi has my hide for takin' so long."

Jimmy straightened out and nodded. "Aye. That you should. I'll see you around. Bye, Kerri."

Filip waited until Jimmy was out of earshot before he turned to Kerrianne. "What was that about?"

"What was what about?" she inquired shooting a dark look over her shoulder.

"You should have been more polite to Jimmy."

"I don't like him," she grumbled.

He paused a moment to look down at her. "Why's that?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I just don't. He talks to me like I'm a little kid."

"You're four," he replied with a laugh, pushing the cart once again. "You are a kid."

She huffed out a breath. Adults just didn't understand. She didn't yet understand the small social cues that caused her unease, the way Jimmy stood just too close to her Ma when her Da wasn't around, or the way he would walk in without knocking like he owned the place, or the way he'd brush his hand over her hair like he was her Da. Kerrianne didn't like it, but didn't know how to explain. So, she settled on what she did know. "Well, I don't like him."

Filip huffed out a breath. "Well, try to be nicer next time, okay? He's your Ma's friend and I work with him. Do it for me."

She let out a long suffering sigh. And because it was her father asking, she would.


	9. Indiana- Two

Four year old Indiana Quinn walked back into the living room as her father came in. She ignored him completely. Her sock-clad feet led her across the room where she grabbed her remote-controlled car and turned on her heel to return it to the toy box in her room.

Rane kicked off his boots as he watched his daughter return to the living room, pick up a doll and disappear once again down the hallway. He put his hands on his hips. Usually, his daughter would be overjoyed by his return, she would drop whatever she was doing and rush to him. The lack of a reaction left him incredibly disappointed. The homecoming ritual was typically the highlight of his day. He turned his attention to his woman.

Tink sat at the dining table, thankful for the open plan of the house so she could easily keep an eye on the very curious Indiana. She smiled at him and then took a sip of her coffee. "Hey, how was your day?"

"Good," he replied walking over to her and giving her a quick kiss. He watched as yet again, his daughter went into the living room, picked up a toy and retreated down the hall. "What is she up to?"

Hiding her grin with her mug, Tink shrugged. She took a small sip of coffee. "Why don't you ask her, Rane?"

He studied Tink, the mischievous smile and the way her tongue peeked out, caught between her teeth in effort not to laugh. Somehow, the expression made him nervous to confront his four year old- curiosity bettered him. He tracked Indiana's movements as she entered the room. Standing with his hands on his hips behind the couch he watched her kneel down and reach under the sofa to retrieve the remote for her toy car. When she stood, he finally spoke. "Indie, what ar-"

Her father's voice made her pause. She narrowed her eyes at him as she held up one hand. "I don't have time for you right now, Dad," she said as stern as she could manage. She crossed her arms, puffed out her chest and lifted her chin just slightly- something she had seen her father do a number of times. "Can't you see? I'm taking care of business!" She huffed out a breath. _Adults._ She proceeded to march back down the hall and deposit the toy in her room.

Rane stood frozen for a minute before he turned to look at Tink who nearly dropped her coffee as she laughed. "She takes after you," Tink commented only to fall back into hysterics.

"Heaven help me," Rane muttered.


	10. Ellie- Two

Prison.

One word.

Two syllables.

Definition: Where Daddy went and he can't come home.

Ellie doesn't understand it. Not fully. She just understands the tears her mother sheds because she feels the same way. Not that she fully understands the feeling either. She's too young to understand the extent of loneliness, the weight of dread, or the fact that her heart has broken for the first time.

The couch seems empty without her father sitting there with them. Kenny seems to cry louder without their father to soothe him. The dinner table seems too quite without his gruff voice or deep laugh. The dark seems scarier without him there to tuck her in and plug in her nightlight.

The first nights he's gone are the hardest. Her mother tucks her in, plugs in the nightlight but Ellie doesn't feel as safe with her mother's tiny form in the doorway wishing her sweet dreams. Later, she can hear her mother crying down the hall and the sound tugs on her heart. She hugs the bear her father bought her, squeezes it extra tight.

Forever.

One word.

Three syllables.

Definition: How long Daddy's been gone.

A month in the eyes of a four year old is a long time. Enough to fade the memory just enough to take the sting out of the pain. Enough time to feel comfortable sitting at the kitchen table with just her mom baby talking Kenny while she feeds him. Enough time to be comfortable with her mother tucking her in. Enough time for it all to seem normal. And slowly, slowly, the memories of her father fade.

::

**Thank you for reading :)**


	11. Dawn- Two

The screaming woke her from where she'd fallen asleep on the couch watching afternoon cartoons. With her heart pounding against her ribs, Dawn tossed aside the blanket and scurried to the kitchen. The blood made her feel faint as did the rare tears streaming down her sister's face. Her cold had made her feverish and sleepy all day and she couldn't hold back the cough that announced her.

"Oh, God," their mother grabbed a clean dishtowel from the drawer and wrapped it around and around Fawn's fingers. "Hold it in place, Fawn."

She did as she was told. "I'm sorry," she sobbed as the pain pulsed through her sliced fingers.

Her mother shushed her and ran a comforting hand through her hair. "You were just helping cut the potatoes, I know." She looked around and found her keys by the phone just as Dawn coughed again. "Shit. Shit!" She pulled the phone from the cradle and quickly dialed. "Alex," she breathed. "I need you. Fawn's hurt and Dawn's sick, I can't take her to a hospital full of sicker people. Yeah. Yeah, just hurry." She took a deep breath and straightened up a bit. "It's okay girls." She crouched in front of her youngest, barely six at the time. "Your dad is going to come and look after you, while I take Fawn to the doctors, okay."

She wished the circumstances were different. She felt guilty about her excitement she felt over seeing her father when the sister she idolized was hurt. "Okay," she replied, her throat still aching despite the medicine her mother made her drink. _Grape flavoured my butt_.

::

Dawn watched with an incredible amount of hope as her parents embraced. Mom had nearly tackled Dad when he'd come in, held on and they'd stayed for just a few seconds locked in that fierce hug. "I have to take Fawn," she managed when she stepped away. "Fawn, come on, Sweetie."

Tig ran his hand through Fawn's straight locks and looked at the blood that had soaked through the tea towel. She'd sliced herself good and he knew it. "You'll be alright, Darlin'."

Dawn watched her mother and sister leave through the window and then plopped back down on the couch. "Hi Daddy."

"Hi Dawny," he flopped down on the couch next to her. "I hear you're sick."

She sniffled. "Got a cold." Her nose wrinkled up in disgust. "Mom made me drink medicine."

He played with her curls absentmindedly as he stared at the tv screen trying to figure out the child's cartoon. "It'll help you feel better."

"It tastes gross."

"That's so you know it works."

She stuck out her tongue and felt the exhaustion pull on her again. She leaned against her father as she stared at the television. She would rather go to the park with him and play again, or they could play in the house, or maybe make a get well soon card for Fawn and even as she thought of all the wonderful things they could do, she fell asleep to the scent of tobacco and leather.

::

When she awoke again, she had a blanket tucked around her and she couldn't see her father. Noises in the kitchen made Dawn pull herself up and she shuffled over to the kitchen doorway, dragging the soft blanket as she walked. Her father had hung up his kutte on the back of a chair, he had crouched down and washed the last of the blood off the floor and him toss the bloody rag into a bucket of soapy water.

She sniffled, and this time it wasn't because of the cold. "Fawn's okay, right?"

He turned to her, studied the worry and picked up the bucket to dump in the sink. "She'll need stitches and then she'll be good as new." He washed his hands and dried them before turning around to see the horror on Dawn's face.

"Stitches?"

"Yeah, stitches."

"Mom stitched up my teddy bear," her voice pitched with worry. "With a needle and thread. They're going to do that to Fawn?"

"It's not quite the same," he said slowly. "She'll be okay."

"Promise?"

"Sure. I ordered pizza. Want to eat it on the couch and watch a movie?"

Their mother rarely let them eat even snacks in the living room. "Yeah!"

::

"What time do you usually go to bed?" he asked when the movie was over and he'd checked his watch to see it was nearly ten.

"When mom tells me to," Dawn replied. The half-eaten pizza still sat on the stool and looked as good as it had tasted two hours ago. "Want to watch another movie?"

"I bet you should be going to bed."

"No! Come on, no, I don't want to!"

"Dawn, come on."

"But Fawn isn't back yet!"

"She's going to be fine. Martina called an hour ago, the wait at the hospital is long but she'll be fine." He stood and picked her up. "Bed."

"But when I wake up, you'll be gone," she whimpered miserably and felt him sigh. He paused once he stood in the bedroom. "Which bed is yours?" She turned and pointed. Since she was already in her pajamas, he pulled back the blankets and laid her down. Odd, she'd grown so much, but it wasn't all that different from when he'd put her down in the crib for the first time. He pulled the blankets up and affectionately ran his hand through her hair. "Do you need anything?"

"No," she grumbled.

"Okay. Good night."

"Yeah." She watched as he walked away and she sat upright. "Wait." He paused and turned back to her. "Will you check under the bed?"

A rare soft smile graced his lips. "Sure, Dawny." He got down on all fours and looked under to find colouring books, dust bunnies, and lost crayons. "All clear."

"Fawn's too."

"Okay," he shifted so he could look under the other bed. A couple of girly hair clips, and a lost sock. He grabbed the glittery purple clip and put it in his hair as he turned. "It's good. How do I look?" The little girl giggled and then fell into a coughing fit. He removed the clip and set it on the nightstand that separated the beds. The framed photograph showed him with the newborn Dawn and a young Fawn up on his knee. He smiled when he picked it up. "Good picture," he mentioned turning it to her for a few seconds before he put it back. He again ran his hand through her wild curls. "Get some rest."

"I love you," she whispered as he walked out the door.

::

When she woke, the pale morning light came through the slits in the venation blinds. Across from her, Fawn was in her own bed, eyes tired but open. "You're back," Dawn whispered excitedly.

"Yeah."

"How is your hand?"

"Numb. They gave me some stuff so I didn't feel much."

"Did you see Dad?"

"A little but I was tired." Fawn smiled tiredly. "He tucked me in."

"Me too," Dawn grinned over and looked at the picture between them. "I miss him when he's gone." She expected her sister to agree and turned only to find her sister sleeping again.


End file.
